Are
you afraid to try for your dream? How about taking your first step? Be bold, be
brave!
When
our oldest child was 4 years old, he was learning to ride a bike. When we told
him that it was time for the training wheels to come off, he burst into tears
and was convinced that he would fall over and get hurt.
But
he didn't. He took off and rode for 20 feet before he lost his balance. Then he
got back up again with a smile on his face.
Zig
Ziglar tells the story of a young woman who attended one of his seminars and
told him about her Mother, who dressed her children in beautiful clothes that
she hand made.
While
the woman mentioned that she would like to do the same for her children, she
was convinced that she just didn't have the raw talent that her mother was
blessed with.
Zig
urged her to take the first step. "Anything worth doing is worth doing
poorly until you learn to do it well.”
A
year latter she came to see Zig Ziglar and brought her 3 children dressed in
the beautiful dresses she had made for them.
Remember,
“to change your life” you have to take that “first step”! It will not happen
until you take that “first step.” After that first step take a “second one” and
continue improving your skills by having an expert to get better and better
each time you work on it!
Dave
Sheffield, motivational speaker and coach says, “Be willing to be terrible. Be
willing to overcome that fear."
When
I was preparing for a concert tour in Australia and New Zealand, I was learning
a new piece on my viola by Ernst Toch, an Austrian composer. My husband came in
and said, “What is that awful piece you are playing? You don’t plan to play it
on tour?”
I
replied, “It is a new piece by Toch that I am just learning.”
A
month later, he came in and said, “What is that beautiful piece you are
playing?”
I
replied, “Do you remember that piece by Toch that I was just learning last
month that you said was so awful?”
He
said, “ Yes, but this doesn’t sound like it.”
I
replied, “I was just learning it!” Arthur Rubinstein, the famous pianist called
it “kitchen work.” By working on the piece each day, I learned how to
understand how to play it!”
When
the famous Spanish cellist, Pablo Casals was in his eighties and nineties he
was asked by reporters “why do you continue to practice your cello four and
five hours a day?”
Pablo Casals said, “I think I’m making progress. I think I see
some improvement.” He continued practicing every day to improve his cello
playing. Mr. Casals lived to be 97 years old.
That first step begins the learning process. The next steps will
lead you to progress, then mastery.
What is something that you would like to try, but you are afraid
of?
1) Boldly begin
Don't over analyze the process. Just get
started, and be willing to do it poorly.
2) Take
your second step and learn faster by having an expert guide you through this
new skill. A coach or mentor can be a valuable model for you on your path to
mastering your goal.
3) Keep
working to get better and better at your new skill just like the young women
who at first was terrible seamstress. She took her second and third step by
practicing and improving to sew beautiful dresses for her daughters.
Remember “How do you get to
Carnegie Hall?”
“Practice, practice, practice.”
Madeline Frank,
Ph.D., DTM is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, John Maxwell Team Member,
Certified World Class Speaking Coach, sought after speaker, business owner,
teacher, researcher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations
"Tune Up their Businesses". Her innovative observations show you the
blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes
a monthly newsletter "Madeline's Monthly article & Musical Tips
Blog" and a monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio
Show". Her book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available
on Amazon or Kindle. Contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking engagement
at mfrankviola@gmail.com
